This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On September 19, 2019, the International Criminal Court (ICC) held a 'confirmation of charges' hearing for two alleged leaders of Central African Republic militias, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom.
Ngaissona, a prominent figure in African football, and Yekatom, a former member of parliament, deny any wrongdoing. The hearing was a crucial step in determining whether there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial.
Prosecutors presented a charge sheet alleging that Ngaissona was a senior leader of Christian-dominated militias, while Yekatom was a commander in the same force, during the 2013-2014 conflict.
The Central African Republic has been plagued by violence since 2013, when a coalition of mostly northern and predominantly Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, seized power. This led to the formation of Christian militias, who opposed the Seleka.
Ngaissona and Yekatom were accused of participating in a plan to target Muslims thought to support the Seleka and committing crimes including extermination, persecution, murder, torture, and intentional attacks against civilians.
According to the charge sheet, Ngaissona and Yekatom 'knew that mobilizing and using anti-Balaka groups fueled by vengeance and hatred of Muslims... and transforming them into a formidable fighting force would, in the ordinary course of events, result in the violent targeting of the Muslim civilian population in western Central African Republic.'
Ngaissona was arrested in France in December and extradited to the ICC, while Yekatom was handed over by the Central African Republic to the ICC in November 2018.
